The current study investigates the relationship between institutional quality and economic growth, focusing on South‐Asian countries entailing Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, from 2002 to 2018. The data are analysed using the dynamic heterogeneous panel (panel autoregressive distributed lag [ARDL] model) approach, specifically the dynamic fixed effect (DFE), mean group (MG), and pooled mean group (PMG). Based on the findings, the three governance indicators, namely corruption control, accountability, and the rule of law, positively and significantly affect economic growth. All the nations have consistent long‐run estimates but varied short‐run estimates and adjustment speed for the long‐term equilibrium. This is due to governance volatility that is evident in all the nations. This article offers both practical and theoretical contributions. This article contributes to the institutional quality and economic growth literature from a theoretical perspective from the South‐Asian perspective. From a practical perspective, the study findings are significant for policymakers, particularly those from the countries that demonstrate major fiscal and external imbalance due to war and terrorism, low oil prices and weak trade. Hence, there is a pressing need to address economic growth issues instigated by the policymakers' negligence to ensure appropriate governance and macroeconomic management. Regulators can improve economic growth through national and regional image building by developing a stable economic and political landscape and maintaining macroeconomic stability by improving the institutional quality indicators. There is evidence that institutional quality improvement leads to better economic growth.

A dynamic and rapidly changing global financial environment is posing various risks for the banking sector. Therefore, the future of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) banks depends on how efficiently and effectively they manage these risks. Among these risks, a credit risk is the most crucial risk for the banking sector. Thus, the current study aims to analyze the impact of financial innovation and sustainable economic growth on the credit risk of ASEAN banks. For this purpose, a sample of 4 ASEAN countries from 2011 to 2018 is selected, and by applying a panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) approach, both variables were found to be a significant contributor toward the credit risk. Current research will not only be beneficial for the management of ASEAN countries’ banks but also provide help to the overall financial industry and their respective regulatory bodies to understand the behavior of ASEAN banks’ credit risk regarding financial innovation and economic growth. Thus, this study will play an essential role concerning the stability of the banking sector in the ASEAN region.

Business sustainability is compromised with an increase in insolvency risk. Firm growth is desirable, but it brings an associated bundle of high risks. We decomposed firm growth into internal and external growth and studied its impact on insolvency risk using a panel data set of 284 listed non-financial firms in Pakistan from 2013 to 2017. This study used the hierarchical multiple regression approach through panel corrected standard error (PCSE) and feasible generalized least squares estimators to test the proposed relationships. The results reveal that the leverage maturity ratio mediated the relationship between firm growth and insolvency risk. Moreover, we also collected fresh evidence on the moderating role of potential fixed collaterals that negatively moderated the relationship between leverage maturity and insolvency risk. It points toward the accumulation of non-productive fixed assets that create a burden for firms instead of helping them avail of favorable loan opportunities. The findings of this research suggests that fund managers should use more long term debt to tackle insolvency risk in highly volatile markets. Inclusion of assets that serve as better collaterals should be made part of the asset structure.

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